Shoe lace fastening device



1931- F. P. ELLSWORTH SHOE LACE FASTENING DEVICE Filed Jan. 14, 1951 INVENTOR. FRHNEIE: F ELLSWDRTH A TTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 13, 1931 7 Applieation filed v:raiiimy i, r9 1. seriaimfisoasss.

-"Ihe presentinventiohl" relates to a shoe lace fastening device, and has for 'anob eCt to provide a device of this character by means of which the shoelace may befquickly drawn "'8 tight or loosened, *withoutthenecessity of manually tying and untying a bow-knot, and which'will furthermoretightly hold the lace against "accidental loosening. Another ob- I je'c t-isfto provide afastenin 7 device which 1 can be" permanently-connecte to the lace so that it will not become misplaced, and which may be'operated with facility. It furtherproposed toprovide a fastening devlce which will be simple and inexpensive :to .1 manufacture. neat and inconspicuousfin appearan'ce, and will'permit'the tightene'd'and fastened shoe" lace ,to have the appearance a of the usual *sh'oe "lace with a properly and evenly tied bow-knot. While the invention I i is illustrated and described with reference to a-shoe lace it will'be obvious that it may bensed with lacing for any purpose; With the above andother objects in vlew,

an embodiment of the-invention is shown inf the accompanying drawings, and this em bodimentwill be hereinafter more .fully described with reference thereto, and the inventi'on will be finallypointed out in the claims." In thedrawings; I v p 3 Fig. 1 is a plan' viewof'the deviceinj its operative relation withashoe lace, and show; ing the contiguolisfportion of the shoe.

, I F 2 is an enlarged-plan view in the .normal operative position,bntdisengaged from the-shoe lace. I I v is s i Fig. 3 is aside elevation. Y F ig. 4;- is a sectional view;takenalong the .line4 -4of Fig.2.-

Fig. 5 is a side elevation showing the loosened position of the fastener.

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic View showing an;-

end view of the fastener with the shoe lace gu tightened and in fastened relation.

Fig. 7 is a similar view showing thedevice unfastened and theshoe lace loosened.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several fig-i ures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings. the shoe lace fastener according to the exemplary embodiment illustrated, comprises a base-member 10-to one endof whichin'lhinged a'cl-amping 0 member 11, the hingepinJI-Q'being engaged 55 through aligned passages formed fin interengaginglcylindrical enlargements 13-and 14: formed on said base" and clamping members respectively. Araised"platform-portion 15 M V i is provided on thebase' at'thelopen'end ,'f0rm- .60

ing a recess 16 between said platform andthe hinge, and a recess fli'is provided on the under side 10f the clamping member in position to engage uponsaid'platform a downwardly projectedportion 18being provided between said recess andthe hinge and disposed within the recess 16 in theelosed position, as indicated in Fig's. 3 and'h-Wit'h itsfiats'nrface spaced 'from the flat surfaceof the recesses. The opposediflatsurfaces of therecess 16 and 7 projecti0n'18 are forced with leather, or other suitable-material, as at-19- and 20; :to'

prevent cutting or smashing er the lace clamped therebetweem'and as will hereinafter 3 more fully appear. 5 r 1 Y I The platform end 15'ofthe base'is provided i with a threaded opening 2lin'which a post '22, threaded atfits lower end, is removably and adjustably screwed, and which extends upwardly through an opening 23 in the clamping member with sufficient clearance to perinit relative swinging of the clampingmemher, as indicated in Fig.5. g I A pl-ate'24: of substantially the same plan outlineas the clamping member, and having anopening25 for the post 22, registering with the opening .-23 is secured to the-upperside of said clampingimember by screws 26;.dis-

posed at each side of the opening25. Op-

A cam lever 81, bifurcated as at 32, is mounted. on the post 22 by means of a hinge pin 33, and is provided at each side of the post with cam projections 34 adapted in the closed position as indicated in Figs. 3, 4 andcam surfaces, and the end of the lever proj ects slightly beyond the plate to permit it to be readily engaged with the finger to move it to open position. The screws 26 are normally disposed beneath the lever 31 to conceal them, but maybe made accessible, for loosening the plate 24, by turning the lever 31 and post 22 at a right angle to the normal position. The degree of clamping pressure of the clamping member may be adjusted by turning the post 22 by means of the cam lever to either raise or lower the axis of said lever with respect to the base member.

The operation is as follows The ends of the lace 26 are first carried in opposite directions through the lower space between the base member 10 and the clamping member 11, and then in opposite directions through the upper space between the clamping member and the plate 24, whlch is first loosened for this purpose by unscrew: ing the screws 26. The ends are thereupon permanently clamped between the clamping member and the plate by tightening the screws 26. In order to tighten the lace the cam lever is raised as shown in Fig; 7, and the loops of the lace are pulled outwardly until the lace is tight, whereupon the cam lever is pressed down, clamping the lace tightly between the clamping member and the base member. In order to loosenthe lace the cam lever is raised and the device pulled upwardly, the lace sliding freely between the clamping member and the base member, while the lace ends are permanently held. To tighten the lace the loops are preferably grasped by the thumb and first finger of each hand and pulled away from thefastening device and when sufiiciently tight are held with the thumbs while the cam lever ispressed down with ,the first finger of one hand. The lace is thus held against slipping and loosening, and presents the appearance of a properly and evenly tied bow-knot.

I have illustrated and described a preferred and satisfactory embodiment of my invention, but it'will be obvious that changes may be made therein, within the spirit and scope thereof as defined in the appended claims. a a

Having thus described my invention what 2 I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a lace fastening device of the character described, means for releasably holding portions of a lace spaced from each end, and means for fixedly securing the end portions of the lace.

2. In a lace fastening device of the character described, means for releasably holding portions of a lace spaced from each end, and adapted to permit sliding movement of said portions upon release, and means for fixedly securing the end portions of the lace.

3. In a lace fastening device of the character described, adjustable means for releasably and removably holding portions of a lace spaced from each end, and adjustable means for fixedly and removably securing the end portions of the lace. I v

.4. In a lace fastening device ofthe character described, clamping means for releasably holding portions of a lace spaced from each end, means operable to tighten and loosen said clamping means with respect to said lace, and means for fixedly securing the end portions of the lace.

5. In a lace fastening device ofthe character described, clamping means for releasably holding portions of a lace spaced from each end and comprising relatively movable parts, means adapted to clamp and release said parts with respect to each other, and means for fixedly securing the end portions of the lace.

6. In a lace fastening device of the character described, clamping means for releasably holdingportions of a lace spaced from each end and comprising relatively movable parts, adjust-able means'adapted to clamp and release said parts with respect to each other, to be adjusted to vary the degree of clamping pressure,and means for fixedly securing the end portions of the lace. Y

7. In a lace fastening device of the character described, clamping means for releasably holding portions of a lace spaced from each end and comprising relatively movable parts, a cam lever carried by one of said parts adapted to clamp and release said parts with respect to each other, and meansfor fixedly securing the end portions of the lace.

Signed at Saranac Lake, Franklin'County, State of New York, this 30 day of December,

FRANCIS P. ELLSWORTH. 

